Stewartry travelled to Ayrshire to take on league leaders Garnock in RBS West League Division Two.
Stewratry 18 Garnock 31
The home side started the game off on a wet slippery pitch and in the second minute Stewartry were penalised for offside giving Garnock a 5 metre lineout. The Blacks managed to spoil Garnock possession and get a scrum which collapsed. In the reset scrum Stewartry took the ball and cleared their lines.
With 10 minutes on the clock D Maxwell went on to replace scrum half Kerr who got a leg injury. Danny Boyd moved to the scrum half position. Garnock went offside on their own 10 metre line. Mosey took the kick giving Stewartry 3 points.
Stewartry caught the ball from the restart. Muir took a pass and made a jinking run through the Garnock forwards. He chip kicked the ball behind the home defenders and went in to score the Blacks first try. The conversion missed.
The restart kick did not go 10 metres. In the scrum on halfway the Blacks got the push on but they gave away a penalty for going over the top of the ruck. From this Garnock attacked up their right wing where Stewartry were penalised again, this time for handling the ball on the ground. Dissent to the referee took the home side another 10 metres nearer the Stewratry try line.
Taking a 5 metre lineout Garnock secured ball and their pack drove over the Blacks line for a try. With the conversion going wide this took the score to 5 – 8 for the Blacks mid way through the first period.
The home team got another penalty just inside Stewarty territory but it went wide of the posts. After the 22 drop out Garnock returned a high kick back to the Stewratry end. Muir caught the ball and made ground back to halfway but was stopped. The home forwards got a turnover and counter attacked. A chip kick behind Stewratry defenders sent the ball toward the Blacks line. In the follow up chase a Blacks defender managed to touch down giving them a 5 metre scrum. Stewartry took the heal and cleared their lines.
With 12 minutes left in the first period Stewartry were penalised for a deliberate knock on giving the home team a 5 metre lineout. Garnock secured clean possession sending the ball out to their backs who went in for a converted try under the posts.
In the remainder of the first half of the game play went from end to end of the pitch. Both side exchanged penalties. From a penalty inside home territiory the ball went to Cammy Fernwick who attacked getting up to the Garnock 22 where they were penalised for not rolling away from the tackle. Mosey put another 3 points on the board taking the half time score to Stewartry 11 Garnock 12.
The Blacks started the second period but again both teams gave away penalties taking play up and down the field. With 10 minutes gone a Garnock penalty took them up to the Blacks 10 metre line for a lineout. The home forwards secured clean possession and drove deep into the Blacks 22 but Garnock were stopped short. Stewartry took the heal. The ball came out to Mosey to kick away down field.
Home defenders caught the ball and counter attacked up their right wing. They kicked forward but the ball went straight out giving Stewartry a lineout. The Blacks caught the ball but knocked on giving the home side a 5 metre scrum. The Blacks pack put on the pressure pushing the home forwards back but they managed to pick the ball up. Garnock went left saw space and went in for another converted try under the posts taking them 7 points clear.
The Blacks knocked the ball forward on the home 22 giving Garnock a scrum. Stewartry drove in too early giving Garnock a free kick taking them back up to the Blacks 10 metre line for a lineout. From that Garnock moved deeper into Stewartry territiory for another lineout 10 metres from the Blacks try line.
Taking clean ball the home pack drove over the Stewratry line for another converted try. With 15 minutes left McCulloch went on in place of McMinn. From a scrum 18 metres out from the Blacks try line Garnock went offside giving Stewartry a penalty. Taking a quick tap kick the ball went to Muir. Seeing space he got back up to the home 22 and was stopped.
At the ruck Stewartry were penalised for going over the top and lost a good attacking position. The kick took the home side back up to the Stewartry 10 metre line. The Blacks caught the ball to attack again when a home player was penalised for a high tackle.
With 5 minutes remaining Stewartry went for a lineout from the penalty but the home forwards took the ball and put pressure on the Blacks. Their left winger ran onto crash ball at pace to go in for a try. The conversion went wide.
Catching the restart ball Stewartry got back to the halfway line where it went to Muir. He ran at speed jinking through the home pack, up the left wing and in for a try. Mosey added the conversion. The Blacks tried to get to the Garnock line again in the last minutes of the game but ran out of time leaving the final score at Stewratry 18 Garnock 31.
With only 2 subs available Stewartry did well against the well drilled league leaders. But as has been evident in a number of earlier games this season the Blacks gave away too many penalties for unforced errors which could have been avoided. If not for these the game might have gone their way.
Stewartry Squad:- J Fingland, S Hogg, J Muir, Danny Boyd, T J McCarney, C Mosey, J Kerr, I McMorran, D Burton, T Cannon, M Smith, K McMinn, H Sainsbury, C Fenwick, I Fenwick (captain), M McCulloch, D Maxwell.
